THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

473-John Lennon-Working Class Hero.

1970-It has never been released as a single in the UK.

Best Bit-At 0.55. Why did Lennon choose this song to use the ‘F’ word on. In 1998 Yoko Ono explained,’He told me, that’s part of being working class.It won’t be working class if what you say is all very clean and proper.’

‘Working Class Hero’ is track 4 on side 1 on ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,’ which was John Lennon’s first Album since the break up of the Beatles, (see also best songs 599-141-80-10 and 6) released on December 11th, 1970. Lennon’s detractors pointed out that he was actually raised in a upper-middle-class home by his aunt, and therefore had little understanding as to what it is to be raised working class. Lennon responded by saying,’The thing about Working Class Hero that nobody ever got right was that it was supposed to be sardonic. It had nothing to do with socialism, it had to do with, if you won’t to go through that trip, you’ll get to where I am, and this is where you’ll be.’ Lennon has also been quoted as saying,’I think it’s concept is revolutionary, and I hope it’s what ‘Give Peace A Chance’ was about, but I don’t know. On the other hand, it might just be ignored. I think it’s for the people like me who are working class, who are supposed to be processed into the middle classes. It’s a revolutionary song, not the song itself, but that it’s a song for the revolution.’

‘Working Class Hero’ was written by John Lennon (see also best songs 927-473-456-168 and 20) and solely performed by him with just his vocals, and acoustic guitar, he was also the songs co-producer along with Phil Spector, and Yoko Ono. His musical influence came from hearing the similar ‘Masters of War,’ and ‘North Country Blues,’ songs by Bob Dylan, who in turn had been influenced by the American Folk singer Jean Ritchie’s (1922-2015) arrangement of the traditional English Folk song ‘Nottamun Town.’

It has been said that Lennon obsessed about the recording of the song for many days, singing an endless amount of takes, somewhere between 100-130, getting very frustrated that it didn’t sound like what he wanted. The finished take on the Album is actually a composite of two different takes performed in two different studios, and knitted together.

‘Working Class Hero’ is a call to the everyday man to not conform to what the more privileged, and powerful tell them to do. Lennon sets himself up as an example of what can be achieved through thinking for yourself, and being a revolutionary. The line ‘If you won’t to be like the folks on the hill,’ is a reference to the Beatles ‘The Fool On the Hill.’

‘As soon as you’re born they make you feel small, by giving you no time instead of it all.’Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all.’